(Minghui.org) I started writing an article about practitioners who often chatted about everyday people's things when they met, but realized that something wasn't right. I reviewed what I had written so far, and found that it was full of complaints about others. There was not a single sentence that looked inward. As soon as I realized it, I stopped writing. I needed to calmly look inside myself.
One elderly practitioner often came to my home to chat about everyday people's things. It seemed that she wasn't doing well, but why had I encountered this, and why did it bother me? There are no coincidences for practitioners. I realized that I must have some attachments to eliminate, and there must be something I needed to do to improve my xinxing.
When I calmed down, I remembered an ancient Buddhist story: After Patriarch VI lived in seclusion in the mountains for 15 years, he went to Faxing Temple in Guangzhou. At the time, a senior monk was explaining a Buddhist scripture to other monks. It was a windy day and the temple flag was fluttering. Two monks began arguing. One said that the wind was fluttering and the other one said the flag was fluttering. Patriarch VI said, “Neither--it is your heart that is fluttering.” This means that everyone's troubles originate from their own hearts, not the external world. As long as our hearts are not moved, we can see everything clearly. Otherwise, we cannot clearly see things even in close proximity.
My human attachments were indeed being pointed out.
When practitioners get together, we sometimes talk about everyday things, which is understandable. If talk about those things too much however, it could be a problem. That elderly practitioner often chatted with fellow practitioners about her special experiences. She would sometimes talk for quite a while, and we ended up wasting time that could have been used to study the Fa or practice the exercises. I didn't point it out to her, so as not to embarrass her. When that happened, I felt anxious and helpless and blamed her in my mind.
I realized that I had a xinxing problem, Upon looking inward, I found strong attachments to not offending others and to saving face, and realized I wasn't being responsible to fellow practitioners. Whenever I met someone I liked, I also liked to chat about everyday people's things.
Master once told us:
“Everything that happens to you is a test to see whether you can regard yourself as a cultivator, find your own wrongdoing and mistakes, and conduct yourself as a cultivator.” (“Lecture at the First Conference in North America”)
After I found my problems, I exposed and eliminated them. I then felt my mind broaden. The negative substance that caused me to blame others was completely gone.
I expected that this practitioner would come visit so I could share my thoughts with her, and she actually did come the next day. But I was surprised that she did not start chatting as usual. After we got things done, which took about five minutes, she immediately wanted to leave. She said, “I must go. I shouldn't always talk about everyday people's things and waste your time.”
I was really surprised! It was as though she knew what I had been thinking. Actually, this was an opportunity Master arranged to let me look at myself. It was to help me eliminate my attachments. Looking inward is truly a magical tool for a practitioner!
Practitioners should truly pay attention to the issue of casual chatting about everyday people's things. Everyone's time is very tight, including those practitioners who don't have regular jobs. They still have to take care of their families and help with Dafa projects. We don't have time to waste. Let's use this precious time to cultivate diligently.
Category: Improving Oneself
